


In Letters he Lies

by Mackerooooons



Category: Historical Fiction, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angst, Boys Will Be Boys, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Maglor in Vietnam, Main Character Death, and the Beatles, historical setting, maglor likes Pink Floyd, outside pov, yes there is both
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:20:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25706563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mackerooooons/pseuds/Mackerooooons
Summary: A collection of letters from a young farmer to his sister during Vietnam, focusing on a specific member of his platoon.
Relationships: Maglor | Makalaurë & Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character & Original Male Character
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	In Letters he Lies

**Author's Note:**

> So I did a Silmarillion bingo. I think I did anyways. I'm not sure. But it ended up Maglor in Vietnam and Outside POV. So you don't get anything happy.  
> It's not THAT graphic but better safe than sorry. Be careful friends.

Hey sis,

First day in Vietnam! I can't say I'm enjoying it so far. It's got to be a few hundred degrees and even more humid! I feel like the air is sticking to me. I'm breathing as much water as Silver Lake holds!

It doesn't help that the copter that dropped us guys was loaded with body bags as soon as we were off. Great for morale. It all seems real now. Pray that I won't be in one later. 

Remember I told you about Bill, my battle buddy? We're going to meet the rest of our platoon today, and we've already met the battalion commander. Captain Smith. He's cool. He grew up in Pierre! He recognized my accent, and I think he likes me. Everyone's a whole load nicer here than at training. 

I've only met one guy from our platoon, his name is Dennis Prager. He was waiting for us under orders from our new sergeant.

I need to stop writing now. We need to help set up our platoon camp. I'll tell you about the boys as soon as I can grab a minute! 

Yours,  
Kenny

Em,

I has been raining for three days straight, and shows no signs of letting up. I thought the humidity was bad! I just felt like I was swimmin, I wasn't actually! Nelson, a corporal in my platoon, says that it'll go on like this for a couple weeks. Looking forward to drowning on a hill! 

Yeah I almost forgot! The platoon's great. There's even a black man! Karl Hendrickson. He's the friendliest person I've ever met. How people treat him bad beats me. You know black men have white hands and feet?! We needa get out more!

And there's also this guy, huge guy. Probably taller than seven feet! He's from Walles he said. Somethin. His name's Errol Melinhollt. Errol's like it's spellt, but you gotta pronounce Melinhollt like Melinhosht. Wellsh is hard. We just call him Errol. The guy's kinda goofy though, in a serious sort of way. Like his eggs didn't cook all the way and he made up for it by reading too much King Arther. He's real sad, too. Parantly he lost his family and six brothers in a fire in Walles and burned his hand bad before he came to the US of A. It's too bad, but the guy's voice. His doggon voice. He sings all the time. Almost non stop. He can do a mean Beatles. He's also really likes a up and coming band called Pink Floid. I have been informed that it is Pink FloYd. Sorry Errol. It's also Wales not Walles. Sorry again! (Nobody cares)

There's also Harry Marlin and Harold Proctor and Kieth Brewer. Yes, we have a Harry, a Harold, and a Errol. We just call Proctor only Proctor, and we don't get confused. Then there's Sam and Dan Rye who are brothers from Kansas. Both idiots. But funny and lift morale almost as much as Errol's singin.

Anyway. Have you been helping Dad? I'm not there to drive the tractor, so has he taught you yet? Or did he get Bob to do it? Bet he's payin Bob. Well I hope Dolton's not too boring without me! Give Mr. Wendt my regards. And give Mom and Dad my love.

Yours,  
Kenny

Hey there, it's me.

ERROL HAS MAGIC FEET I SWEAR.

We just walked through eleven miles of swamp. All of us have blood blisters the size of plumbs but not Errol! Not special Errol! Oh, his feet are just fine thankyouverymuch. No complaint from that man! He even loaned out his socks! Loaned them out! He doesn't even need socks! This guy isn't human, I think. He's a alien. From the planet of YOU HAVE STONE FEET SIR. He thinks that's awful funny, but Bill believes me, don't you Bill? 

_Yeah right. Sure Ken._

Right. Anyway, Errol sang an old Wellsh song while we were walking. None of us know Wellsh, not even Sergeant Banner, but it was stupid pretty. Made waking easier too. Kinda distracting, you know? Made it seem like we wern't walking through a ocean of ric

Ken

Hey sis. I'm okay. Sorry to leave you hanging last time. Dan's dead. Sam's a freaking mess and Errol's not stopping singing to him to try and help. It's kinda working, but it just keeps making Errol sad too. We haven't really slept sense Dan, and we're all on the look out. ~~He just fe - - - die - - - we - - - He just fell over. and it was like - - - and the blood and his brain and his - - -~~ I'm sorry I shouldn't have told you that. I'm probably not gonna sleep for a long time. Not good anyways. ~~Unless maybe Errol sings a stupid Welsh lullaby. They always work.~~

Enjoy your time

Yours,  
Ken

P.S. Give Momma and Dad my love.

Hey Em,

Sam's doing better now. I think Errol's songs helped. But it's getting worse here. Every time we turn the corner, there's Mr. Charles just waiting. I'm not even exactly sure where we're going or why! It's horrible. And it's raining every day and night. I'm wearing my socks and a pair of Errol's and I still have blisters. You'd think I have enough calluses, but I think the wet makes them go away. Somthin. Errol's been singin a really sad Welsh song and I think it's bringing everybody down but it's the day he had that fire and nobody has the heart to tell him to stop. So we're all just sad with him because that's what happens when Errol sings. 

Hope you're doing good!

Yours,  
Ken

Em,

I killed someone today. Everyone acted like it was a trophy or something and Sam kept the guy's teeth. He offered them to me but then I got sick on his boots so he kept them. I think I'm still gonna be sick, and my hands won't stop shaking. Not that you can't tell. I don't know why, nobody else had any trouble! I hate this. Everyone's just telling me to man up, even Bill!

I shouldn't say that. Errol isn't saying that. He's sitting next to me still now, and he has been for a while. He says that killin isn't something to be proud of. But he says that I'll still be me. I don't know about that, but he is helping at least a bit. Just him sitting is helping. Em, please don't hate me. When I'm not the same when I get home, that's why.

Ken

_Emily, your brother loves you. Do not forget that, no matter what comes._

Em, 

Karl and Dennis died. I hate war and everything that happens in it. Karl got bit by a spider hiding in a hooch from some Charlies and screamed something awful and they killed him and took Dennis so Dennis is dead too. Errol sang a song for them and Sam is addin teeth to his necklace and Sarge Banner is brooding in the rain. It's a long year.

Kenneth

Sis,

We just pulled the best prank. Errol had watch last night so he's the last one sleeping. Harry found this ENORMOUS centipede longer than your forearm and he stuck it in Errol's face. Errol screamed like a girl. It was amazing I tell you. None of us could stop laughing, and Sarge was telling us to shut up but he was laughing to. Errol's always the picture of protocol, it was priceless. His face though!

Well we know what we're doing now. There's a Viet Cong bunker in there about twenty miles away. We're gonna go rondayvoo with the 105th and kick Charlie out. It'll be hard, but we'll make it. Good news is Bill and my tour is over in a month, and Errol and Proctor's is the week before. Proctor's family is in Minnesota and Errol hasn't got any, so when Bill and I ship back we'll bring Errol and Proctor along and Errol will stay with us if it's okay with Mom and Dad please please please and Proctor will go along without us to MN. It's perfect! I can't wait to see you guys again.

I'm not bringing Sam with us though. He's different now. He's just Well he's different. It's not good. Momma wouldn't like him anymore.

I'll write you after we take that bunker! (Errol says it's a seej, but nobody knows what that means.)

Kenny

Em

Errol is shot, probably dying. He tried to save me. He just stepped in the way of the bullet. And then he shot the man even though he was bleeding out his stomach. Then he fell over and we pulled him away. We're in the bunker now, waiting for Charlie reinforcements to come kill us. Errol's doin his best to paint the floor red. Sarge is dead and so's Sam. Proctor is out there somewhere but I don't know what happened to him. It's just me and Harry and Bill. Time to wait it out.

Errol's dead now. He says he's happy, and he'll get to see his family. But he looked scared if anything and he's dead so he's not happy anymore. He started zoning out and talked a lot in Welsh or something and then he dropped off. I hate this. I hate all of this so much and if you see anyone forever tell them they had better be greatful for this because I'm sure not.

If I don't see you again, I love you and Momma and Dad. 

Corporal Kenneth N Borah  
304th  
RA89847301

**Author's Note:**

> Kenneth Borah is a real name, but this Ken is fictional. Dolton SD is a real place, and so is Silver Lake and Bob and Mr Wendt. Nothing else is real. This is a work of fiction. 
> 
> Also Ken's reaction to an African American is based on one from an old friend of mine. He met an African American in the army and that was the first time. Weird to think about, right?
> 
> Oh yeah! Errol means commander and Malinhollt gold(color) cleaver. I think. I used Google Translate. If any of you happen to know Welsh please feel free to correct me if it's awful.


End file.
